City Manager Steve Sarkozy announced today that he will resign effective May 15. In a resolution passed unanimously last night, the City Council has chosen Deputy City Manager Brad Miyake to be the acting city manager as of May 16.

Mayor Conrad Lee said, "The City Council appreciates all that Steve has done for Bellevue. In discussions between the council and Steve as part of his annual review process, it became clear that both of us were ready for a change. During the past two weeks, we've been working on the details of that transition."

The transition is already underway. An RFP will be issued for a national search firm to find a new city manager who can forge a joint vision with the council, and will include ample opportunity for community involvement in the selection. Sarkozy will work with the city's leadership team in making a smooth transition.

"Serving the City of Bellevue for the last 12 years has been a great privilege. Bellevue is known nationally, and more importantly by its citizens, as one of the finest places in the world to live, work and play. This is due in no small part to the central role the city government plays in almost every facet of the community," said Sarkozy. "I'm proud of our accomplishments, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with such a great team of dedicated and professional public servants."

Under Sarkozy's 12-year leadership as city manager, one of the longest tenures of current city managers in the state, the city has experienced several accomplishments, including:

Developing our great City Hall as a centerpiece to our downtown and home to most of the city's administrative operations;

Bringing together community and business leaders to transform downtown Bellevue, through the commitments of Symetra and Microsoft, to name a few;

Planning and executing the Bel-Red Corridor Plan for the redevelopment of more than 900 acres into a transit-oriented concept;

Earning national accreditation of all of our departments and numerous professional awards conferred for innovation and excellence in program delivery; and

Driving down our property tax rate to be the lowest in the entire state for any major city.

The council and Sarkozy have reached agreement on the terms for his separation with the city, and the document was approved unanimously by the council Monday night. The agreement is aimed at confirming Sarkozy's assistance in a smooth transition, meeting the obligations of the City Manager's contract for severance, and insuring that all potential legal issues have been covered. A celebration of Sarkozy's tenure will be planned for later this spring.

Bellevue is the fifth largest city by population in the state, second in the number of jobs in the Puget Sound region, and has the second highest property valuation in the state.